Saving Hope and Mercy
by thecrimsondagger
Summary: They were an abomination. That's what they were told so that's what they became, two girls who were more than the world could ever truly handle. But when their actions begin to catch the attention of powers beyond their own, is it possible for them to finally learn what it means to be human amongst those who are truly damned? Rated M for Language and graphic scenes later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one:**

 ***Whitechapel- November 1888***

Her breathing was ragged, footsteps falling hard against the rain soaked cobbles as she ran through the darkened streets of London, not a star in the bleak night sky as she searched desperately. They were coming for her. The sisters of nightmares and murder. Tears of fear burned within her eyes as she spied a lone constable at the end of the alley, fresh hope lighting her heart as she called out to him desperately, if it were to be the last thing she did then let it be in the name of justice for all who died at their hands.

"Constable! Oh please, help me! Lord above, help!"

She came to a halt, the hem of her dress becoming soaked as she clung to the constable's arm, his face shrouded by the shadow of his helmet as he turned to acknowledge her cries.

"What seems to be the trouble madam? You seem rather distressed"

She was too caught up in her relief to notice the menace within the constable's eyes, to recognise the dangerous smile that ghosted across his lips as a shadow flickered behind her back briefly.

"I have information about Jack the Ripper, it ain't no man constable, I swear they ain't even human, those two daughters of satan!"

A low chuckle rang out in the poorly lit alleyway, her blood running cold and her heart feeling frozen as fresh fear crept through every fibre of her body. How had they found her so soon? She turned to the policeman once more, intent on telling him to run once more, only to see him joining with the laughter, his visage beginning to twist and alter, long golden tresses beginning to flow from beneath the helmet as angelic features now met her face to face, accompanied by an equally alluring young woman with hair the colour of raven's feather.

"Oh Mary, is that any way to speak about us? I can assure you that our father was not Satan, by any stretch of the imagination."

Her screams echo through the streets of London, alerting the attention of true officers of the law as her attackers disappear into the night, watching from the safety of the rooftops as the name 'Jack the Ripper' is spoken once more.

"Hope... I trust that it is not still one of your creations that I speak too now?"

The blonde refused to take her eyes from the scene below, both girls obscured from view as the body of their victim was investigated before being covered from their sight. She scowled slightly as she answered.

"I can assure you, Mercy that it is not a creation that you speak with... and I trust that, if we are to go into hiding that I shall not find any more of your own... works of art, reported on the news?"

Mercy smiled, sadistic as her eyes gleamed in the moonlight. No, her own ability would take no other victim, nor would the knife she used to cover the abnormality of her victims true deaths... For now.

"Trust me sister, my gift for the human anatomy shall remain dormant until we both decide otherwise... For now, let us leave"

At her words, the pair turned their back from the scene, vanishing into the night and failing to notice the eyes that followed their own movements.

 ***London West End- 1965***

The music is deafening, the alcohol dulling the senses of all those around them as two nimble figures dance amongst the other bodies upon the dance floor. The hot pants that are all the rage in this era and the skimpy tank top leaving nothing to the imagination as their eyes seek out their target.

"You must remember that you cannot use your gift here Mercy... wait until we have found our target and isolated him"

Her smile is cruel as her eyes lock upon the man that she speaks of, shutting her eyes briefly and breathing deep as she feels the rip within her being, opening her eyes once more to see the clone sauntering over to their next victim, hips swaying and catching his attention completely.

"I doubt I shall ever get used to seeing more than one of you Hope"

Mercy's words are merely scattered to the wind as she begins to tail the target, watching as he becomes enamoured with her sister's clone, his hands touching in places that the real Hope would never allow as they vanish into one of the 'Private' booths of the club. To easy.

His scream is silenced as the clone wraps a hand over his mouth, sub-human strength locking him in place as Mercy begins her work, her eyes registering his anatomy on a level no human could possibly manage, her gift wrapping like an invisible hand around his heart, ready to squeeze, as she speaks to him with a sweetness that does not fit the situation.

"The kray twins send their regards"

Hope enters the room just as the man draws his final breath, blood oozing from between his lips, the remnants of his heart crushed within his chest with no outer wound to ever tell that he had been attacked. Hope recalls her clone, taking a deep breath as the scent of fresh blood takes her back to when they first began, nearly a century ago.

"The world has changed Mercy, from the one we knew so long ago"

"A change we wouldn't have seen if I hadn't altered our own anatomy, it is still strange to be frozen in this state. Its a miracle we've managed to integrate to this era at all"

The sisters smile as they leave the scene of their crime, knowing that they will be long gone before the body is truly discovered, if the Kray twins don't dispose of it before then. As they did so many years before, they walk away without a care for the life they have taken, failing to sense once more the eyes that follow them also.

* * *

 **So what do you think? Should I continue with this idea? Let me know what you thought and I really hope you enjoyed the beginning chapter :)**

 **Crimsondagger x**


	2. Chapter 2

***Modern day***

Their eyes were void as they observed the man before them, watching as his trembling hands clutched tighter at the briefcase that he intended to hand towards them, the stench of mould from the abandoned office walls filling their nostrils. Over the course of almost one hundred and fifty years, their names had sent fear through the hearts of the criminal underground, from Jack the Ripper to simply Hope and Mercy Sinclair.

To the criminal world, they were a living nightmare, the pair that would kill at the slightest of wrongs and had dealings in some of the most ruthless of industries, from smuggling and prostitution to heists and drug dealings, there was no aspect that they would not deal in.

But to the world beyond their syndicate, they were an urban myth, a tale to tell children when they had misbehaved. Beware the daughters of the devil who come out at night, who feed on the rotten souls of this world. Beware the daughters who felt no love within their hearts, for if they came for you, it would surely mean your end.

Hope couldn't suppress the sadistic smile that tore across her face as she took a step towards the man, an undignified whimper passing his lips as he fought to stay where he stood. With lips pulled tight into a smile that showed nothing but teeth, eyes wide and head tilted to the side slightly, she looked truly insane. Perhaps that's what they both were?

Mercy sighed, folding her arms across her chest and allowing her sister to have the fun on this deal. They often took it in turns to goad their client's, this time just wasn't her turn.

"Hope, try to play a little nicer with dear Thomas. I'm sure that his wife and daughter would appreciate him not being a snivelling wreck when he returns home"

His eyes widened in horror, Holding the briefcase tighter to his chest as his words came out in stuttered sobs.

"H-ho-how do y-you know about them? P-please, leave my f-family out of this"

Mercy began to cackle, unable to hold back the rush she felt at the sheer amount of fear that his voice had held in that one sentence. It had been an inspired idea to suggest that, after discovering there may have been a mole amongst one of their clients, Hope should use one of her doppelgangers to trail each of the suspected snitches.

It had taken them no more than two weeks, from tailing Thomas to discovering the cushy little deal he had made with the law in exchange for his 'protection'. What good were human policemen compared to the horror that they were.

"Do you really think you can keep anything a secret from us? We have eyes and ears everywhere... You just don't realise it until it's too late. I wonder though, how would little Emily feel if she knew her daddy was a dirty politician? Using bribes to rig the votes and paying for our influence to secure what votes money couldn't buy?"

Hope was stood beside him now, leaning against the tremble man with her arm wrapped loosely around his shoulder as she snapped her finger, loving how he jumped slightly at the noise and let a strangled sob pass his lips as a little girl was lead in gently by one of Hope's clones, tears in her young eyes as she spoke.

"It's not true is it dad? You wouldn't do any of that would you?"

His knees gave out beneath him as he began begging, all reason having left his mind in favour of protecting his only child. He'd never wanted to drag her into the darker side of his work. For the love of god, she was only thirteen!

"Please, I'll do anything! Just don't hurt my daughter. If it's money you want then just name a price, police off your back, just give the word. Please, let Emily go"

With a click of her tongue, Hope leaned in a little closer, her lips ghosting along the shell as she spoke.

"We want the truth, Tommy. Have you been snitching on us?"

With a signal from Mercy, the clone forced the girl to her knees, producing a gun as it was placed harshly against her skull, a twisted smile upon its lips that made Hope feel a sense of pride at her own creation. Thomas felt his heart leap into his throat as the words fell from his lips without reserve, anything to save his little girl.

"Yes, dear god yes! They approached me after the second meeting, said they could protect my family if I helped them track you both down, they'll be gathering around the building as we speak!"

Hope sighed blissfully as she finally chose to move away from Thomas, heading leisurely towards a cabinet at the far end of the room, pulling out two machine guns and chucking one towards her sister before collecting two bullet belts and turning back to the cowering man.

"Much appreciated Mr. Maynard but, there is a few things you failed to realise in this entire situation"

With a final snap of her fingers, the visage of the little girl began to alter and shift, slowly beginning to reveal another clone of the fair haired woman. His blood ran cold in his veins as, both the sisters and the two clones turned their full attention on to him as Mercy finished her sisters sentence.

"One: We'd never use a real child in such a manner. Two: You're actions have just signed your own death warrant along with that of all the officers outside this building. And third: We're not totally human, do you really think it's going to be that easy to take us down?"

The shot rang out at the end of her words, a single bullet hole through his skull as his body hit the floor with a dull thud, and Mercy tucking the small revolver back into its hidden holster as Hope gave an irritated sigh.

"Great. So now, not only do we have to play 'exchange the bullet' with the humans, we most likely have to break the world record for the world's fastest getaway to the safe house!"

"Stop your whinging; you're only pissed off because you didn't get to shoot him"

Hope grinned slightly, noticing the fond smirk upon her sisters lips as they positioned themselves at the windows, the flashing lights of the police cars proving that Thomas hadn't been lying.

"Maybe... You ready to notch that death tally up a little more?"

Those were the final words before bullets began to rain down, both girls knowing that there would only ever be one outcome for this battle.

* * *

 ***Same time- Volterra, Italy***

Aro felt elation as Jane, Alec, Felix and Demetri knelt before himself and his brothers within the throne room, glimmers of triumph within their eyes as Jane spoke.

"Masters, Demetri has successfully pinpointed the Sinclair sister's location, we are ready to move this mission into the collection stages if that is your wish?"

Oh, such delightful news to hear. The Sinclair sisters had been amongst some of his greatest obsessions for the past one hundred and twenty seven years, desperate to discover how two seemingly human women could survive so long and yet remain in the visage of young girls no older than twenty. From the moment a rogue vampire had told tales of two young women gifted beyond human possibility, he had craved to possess them amongst his coven, gruesome stories of their actions only making his hunger stronger as it became clearer that they were growing in skill. But he had set aside his ambition, desire to see the fruits of their talent ripen and form into the most tantalizing of fruit.

"Yes. Have them collected and brought before myself and my brothers"

But now, the time had come and his desire could not go ignored much longer, his huger unsated. And just imagine how much more potent those deadly gifts would become when combined with the gift of the damned.


	3. Chapter 3

The door slammed hard behind them as they entered the apartment, the bustling noise of Covent Garden filtering through the living room window, ignoring the sounds of modern day life outside as they both made a rapid bee-line for their separate destinations. Hope towards the kitchen and Mercy towards the bathroom.

For the past number of years that they had become active in their crimes, each night had always been the same for Hope and Mercy Sinclair. Hope frowned as she sent a backwards glance from the open plan kitchen towards the bathroom door before looking back to the substance she had placed upon the counter, pulling out tattered credit card that she didn't use anymore, carefully using it to model the white powder into a perfect line.

She wished that she didn't need it, didn't crave it so deeply but she did. After so long, it was the only thing that silenced the voices in her head, drowned out the sound of her clones as they each questioned her actions, each quarrelled over who would be used for the next drug operation or major deal.

When she'd first learned of her gift, she'd thought it nothing more than being able to create a temporary second self. It was only as she'd used it more, created more and more copies of herself that she had understood the truth. They were more than mere projections. Once she cancelled them, they returned to her head but remained active with their own thoughts and opinions. She had become a vessel for her own creations, nothing more than a living Russian doll.

Pinching one side of her nose, she leaned towards the counter inhaling hard and wincing as the substance shot through her nostril and began the process of mixing into her blood stream. She hated it, but knew that there was some irony to be found in her situation. To regain her own self, she had to lose herself completely to the drug.

As the familiar buzz began to shoot through her veins, she stumbled towards the sofa, waiting for the promised silence to begin as she awaited her sister's return, knowing that her own form escape was underway.

* * *

She gritted her teeth against the familiar pain that bit into her flesh, eyes fixed upon the little strip of metal clasped in her hand as she dragged it through her arm. Whilst Hope had cocaine to keep herself grounded and a little further away from truly becoming insane, Mercy used her own pain to remind her that she still had a touch of humanity left within her soul.

She bit back her laughter as she inspected the wound, watching as her flesh began to knit back together until nothing but blood remained and she began the process once more. How could either she or her sister truly call themselves human anymore? Their separate abilities had stripped it away from them from the moment they had realised them.

There had been a time where Mercy had wanted to use her gift for good, had wanted to become a midwife to help bring life into the world and save lives with her ability. But those dreams had been when she was much more naive to the cruelty of the world; before they had taken the name Jack the Ripper and before they had turned completely to crime. Victorian England had made sure that neither girl would ever see good in the world again.

She groaned as the final slice within her flesh began to heal. As she took the time to clean each drying rivet of blood, she thought on her own talent. With the ability to alter not only another's anatomical state but also her own, the fear of death had long since become a thing of the past. When they were twenty, a year after going into hiding and putting an end to their Jack the ripper phase, Hope had fallen gravely ill. She'd managed to remove the tumour that she'd seen growing within her sister's left lung and Hope had healed well but the experience had frightened her into taking action. They were all each other had left, with no family left to speak of and no true friends that they could turn too. It had taken a long while placing each organ, each cell and molecule into a state of suspended animation, but she had succeeded. But what did that leave them as in the end? Nothing more than animated corpses that refused to rot.

And maybe that was why she needed the pain each night, needed to see her own blood flow by her own hand? To prove that, somewhere deep down, she and her sister were still human. That notion was all she really had left to keep herself from losing her own mind.

She stood slowly from her position on the bathroom floor, sighing gently as she exited the small room and moved to rejoin her sister on the sofa, not even surprised to find the other staring blankly at the ceiling as she slouched back, high as a kite and seemly at peace with the voices in her head. As much as Mercy knew Hope needed the drug to find some peace, she wished that there was another way to go about it. The cocaine took something away from Hope each time she consumed it, leaving nothing more than a hollow husk of her true self in its wake as it coursed through her system.

"How much this time?"

Hope didn't even attempt to turn her head as she closed her eyes and tried to form her own words against the drugs will.

"A lot... But I can still move. Why?"

"We're going out. After the Shit Thomas pulled with the police today, I need a stiff drink and I'm not leaving you here when you're high. Last time that happened, you created _them_ "

Mercy shuddered at the thought of those clones. Once in a while, Hope would create clones with certain useful attributes of their own, such as the ability to shift into the visage of another person or a talent for seduction that helped to lore out a target without putting themselves in any danger. These particular clones, however, were beyond terrifying and proved almost perfectly just how dark her sister's imagination could become.

Hope sniggered slightly to herself, her drug addled brain finding humour in the thought of her two least active creations, before lifting herself from the sofa and grabbing her purse. Maybe a few drinks would be good after the day they had had.

"That's not the only stiff thing you need"

With a overly relaxed smile upon her lips, Hope moved to the kitchen and Mercy tightened her fists slightly as the fair haired woman slipped the remaining packet of cocaine into her purse, both knowing that the bouncers wouldn't dare to search either of them, their names too infamous in the area for anyone to want to cause any trouble. That didn't mean they didn't carry a gun in their purses anyway. Just to be certain of course.

"Because getting laid is really a high priority on my agenda when I have my side of the business to manage. Either way, get a move on, I need a drink"

The front door shut gently behind them, both girls talking amongst themselves as Mercy helped Hope stagger down the corridor and towards the nearest bar. Neither sister would have ever imagined that that night would be the last time they saw their apartment, or England, again.


	4. Chapter 4

" _Mercy? Why hasn't Mama moved?"_

 _They looked at the unmoving woman, young eyes questioning as the raven haired sister stepped away from the fair haired one to take their mothers hand. Why did she feel so cold to the touch? Why were her eyes glazed and turning milky... Why did she smell funny?_

 _She bit her lip as panic began to take hold of her heart. It had been a few days since their mama had closed her eyes, a sad smile on her lips as she drifted into a sleep that seemed it would never end. Before then, she'd noticed mama coughing a lot, red blotches marring the little handkerchief that seemed fixed to her mouth._

" _We have to go Hope... Mama has gone to the angels"_

 _Tears filled the fair haired child's eyes as she shook her head in denial, clutching to Mercy's hand as she tried to argue what had been said, fight against the truth._

" _She can't be! Mama wouldn't leave us like papa did... She promised!"_

" _It will be alright Hope, we still have each other. Mama wasn't well, you know that, she's safe with God now... She can be happy"_

 _That night had been their last in the little house, cries of despair filling the air as they grieved for their loss and packed what little possessions they could before turning to the streets of London. The slamming door ringing in their ears, an invisible wall slowly beginning to build around both their hearts._

* * *

Mercy scowled a little at the memory as she chucked back her tequila shot before licking the salt from her fist and biting hard into the lemon the barman offered to her. What good were such memories now? Their mother was long gone, along with their faith that God held her safe in his embrace, watching over them from above.

Mercy snorted as she turned to where her sister sat, head bent as she sniffed another key of coke into her system, surrounded by a group of guys that cheered on her endurance, never assuming that it was simply that she couldn't OD herself. If there really was a God, he had abandoned them long ago. What God would love them anyway?

"Mercy! C'mon outside with me, these guys are lightweight pussy fucks anyway and I need a smoke!"

Hope was laughing uncontrollably as she stood from her seat, not even attempting to pass the guys as she simply stepped over the small table that held their drinks and the dusty remnants of her addiction. The guys were shouting their own abuse, failing to hit the mark as Hope simply laughed harder, flipping the bird at the group before attempting to walk away, only to feel one take a firm grasp of her wrist.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going whore?"

The bar seemed to go silent as Mercy sighed and everyone seemed to back away slightly from the three. What a fool. Hope's face became deranged as she turned to him once more, not registering that his friends had begun to cower, seeming to read the deadly aura that radiated from her as she ploughed her fist into his face and sending him to the floor.

Mercy didn't even attempt to interrupt, knowing that even trying would only make the situation worse. The worst thing to do when Hope was in any form of inebriated state was to touch her without permission. She turned, noticing that the bouncers seemed to be trying to edge closer, none really wanting to get involved with the pair or their fight but knowing that their job demanded it.

"Fuck off"

Mercy's voice dripped with venom, her eyes filled with seething rage and hate as she focused her gift upon their legs, a loud cracking sound filling the room as she snapped their tibia bones and their screams mixed in with the sound of Hope beating the life out of the other man.

"I'll kill you! No one calls me a whore! No one touches me without permission!"

She was in full swing, blood dripping from her fist as it became obvious that she was now punching nothing more than the remnants of a corpses face. The club watching on in horror as Mercy finally chose to intervene, simply touching her sister's shoulder and pointing towards the pack of Marlboro gold cigarettes in her jacket pocket.

"You've made your point Hope, time to go for that smoke and find another bar"

She led the fair haired woman out of the door, helping to spark the cigarette as whispers filled the air behind them.

' _ **Someone call an ambulance... and the police. This guy's dead'**_

' _ **What did she do to the bouncers? Their legs are broken'**_

' _ **What are they?'**_

' _ **They're monsters"**_

Mercy had to smile as the final whisper caught her ear, moving her wasted sister away from the club and down an alley to calm down, watching as she drew heavily on the cigarette. With each passing day, she realised more and more that they truly had abandoned all of their humanity in favour of their shared insanity. But perhaps that was for the best she thought, no one would try to hurt them if they lost themselves to their inner monster.

"You need to stop doing things like that Hope"

"Why? They bring it on themselves; I only finish what they started. And anyway, it's not like they can harm or kill me"

Mercy heard the touch of bitterness in her sister's voice, frowning as she pulled her own cigarettes from her pocket.

"Do you resent what I did? Altering our state and stopping us from joining mother?"

"Like I really care anymore. Even if we could die, if there is a heaven and mother is there, then we sure as hell aren't going to it"

Hope felt a strange sense of sadness wash over her suddenly at her own words. Perhaps that was what she wanted? She felt drained by the life they led, nothing like what she had wanted when they had been children. Like Mercy had wanted to be a mid-wife, Hope had always wanted a family of her own. But, in their frozen state, pregnancy was impossible for either woman and Hope had long since discovered that her heart held no love for others beyond her sister so finding a long term lover was out of the question.

Their dreams were dead. And so were they.

"Hope and Mercy Sinclair. By order of the Volturi, you are to accompany us willingly or we shall take you by force"

Their eyes snapped to the end of the alleyway, four shadows blocking the exit as Mercy stepped forward to speak, not trusting Hope to take control of the situation right now.

"Oh? Do you even understand who you're dealing with here? If you think that only four of you can take us on then you better guess again"

Mercy saw the outline of a smile twist upon the faces of the shadows, each one slowly stepping into the light as something quickly dawned upon the two sisters. Red eyes, skin too pale to be healthy and overly sharp teeth poking through the gaps of their smiles. She sent Hope a brief glance as she spoke.

"Can you summon any of your clones?"

"Why should I? I can take on these four without breaking a sweat"

Mercy couldn't quite catch her sister quick enough as the blonde barrelled towards their attackers, her cocaine addled brain failing to register the danger that Mercy had sensed or see the ecstatic grin that spread across one of their faces. He had been hoping for a fight, simply to see what would happen.

"Try to play nicely Felix. The masters want them retrieved in one piece"

"Sure thing Jane"

Hope continued to thunder forward, undeterred by the giant of a man that came hurtling towards her, both preparing fists as they collided and a scream of agony tore through the air. Mercy felt her eyes widen in horror as Hope was sent flying backwards and towards her, convinced that she had heard a number of bones break from the contact as she watched the other land with a thud.

"That does it!"

Mercy prided herself on being the calmer of the two, never allowing herself to be as hot headed as her sister. But, as she watched her sister force herself from the ground, bones cracking back into place and bloody scrapes beginning to heal as she threw herself forward once more, Mercy began to feel genuine panic. She felt helpless as she took a moment to look into the bodies of the strangers, horrified to find that their own hearts failed to beat also. She could alter that, revert them back to life with her gift but it would take time. And time really wasn't something she had as she listened to Hope scream in pain once more, snarling like a wild beast before splitting her being and summoning six of her clones.

She was pissed, pissed beyond belief as she felt her energy drain. Normally, summoning this many of her creations would have been child's play, nothing compared to what she was capable of. But she was drunk and high, neither a good mix for her gift as the clones struggled to fight past their own intoxication, all suffering from the substance abuse she had put herself through. But that wasn't what Hope was worrying about as she sent a quick glance to mercy, silently telling the other to run.

Mercy shook her head, refusing the others requests. She couldn't leave her, she didn't want too. If she did then she'd be completely alone. Neither truly had a reason to live anymore without the other. Hope groaned, knowing that Mercy wouldn't leave to save her own skin, eyeing her clones for a split moment before turning tail and gripping her sisters hand, forcing her to run alongside the blonde as the clones were left behind as a distraction.

"We need to get away Merc, whatever the hell they are, it sure ain't human"

They ran as fast as they could, Hope wincing in pain as she felt her clones being destroyed, one after the other, their existence being ripped from her own and leaving an emptiness within her soul. She prided herself on her creations, and knowing that six of them had just died for the sake of she and Mercy was like a knife to the remnants of her heart.

"Can you still run after all that? You've used too much energy on your clones and you're in no state to summon more with all the shit you consumed before... You're starting to look like you'll drop any minute"

Hope knew Mercy was right, knew that her sister could sense her dwindling energy from over-exertion and abuse. Fate had really picked a bad day for them to run into this level of trouble. The last thing either of them needed was Hope passing out anytime soon.

"I don't know. My heads starting to feel heavy and my eyes are blurring... I don't think I can stay with it much longer"

Great. Just bloody fantastic. Mercy sighed in annoyance as she hooked her sisters arm around her shoulder, helping the other to keep up as she struggled to keep up her own momentum with the added weight.

"Leaving so soon?"

Mercy screamed blue murder as she came to a halt, the sudden dead weight on her left side proving that Hope had fallen unconscious, most likely from the added surprise of being caught up too. They were screwed. Royally.

"What do you want?! We don't even know you"

A chorus of laughter followed Mercy's words, pulling her sister a little closer as the four attackers drew closer. With the closeness, Mercy could better see their features, they looked like Botticelli angels, especially the smaller and seemingly younger of the group; she believed one was known as Jane, their pale skin flawless, their hair glossy and their eyes like perfect rubies. Mercy felt a shiver run through her spine, a sudden realisation dawning upon her. No, they were certainly not human.

"Ah, but we know you. Have followed you through the years, waiting for our kings to give the word to bring you both in... How convenient that your sister should make it so easy for us"

Mercy would have bitten back in Hope's defence, would have lashed back if she could but, as a body moved forward with a speed beyond what she had ever thought possible and a fist collided with her right temple, the world went dark around her and she joined Hope in unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

The aircraft was silent, the four guards sat in pairs as their eyes remained transfixed upon the two unconscious women before them, Mercy and Hope both propped up in their own seats. Felix and Demetri stared intently at Hope as Jane and Alec watched over Mercy. Their sensitive ears picking up one massive problem with the two humans.

Their hearts were silent. Not a beat between them as their breathing came out shallow and, in Hope's case, uneven.

"We have tracked and spied on them for over one hundred years... they should have aged"

Jane's words were mostly too herself, confused as she stood to look closer at the raven, not failing to notice that there was no injury where Demetri had mildly punched her in the skull. The hit should have left at least a mark, a bloody laceration at worst. But there was nothing.

"Do you think they could be hybrids? Like the Cullen child?"

Alec shook his head as he thought on his own opinion. From the information that they had gathered over the years, it was a wise decision to blindfold the raven haired sister. Her gift lay within her eyes and, if she locked onto any of them for long enough, Alec had a bad feeling that she could do some serious damage. They'd also taken measures to bind the two to their seats, not wanting to risk a fight breaking out on the aircraft. Most likely between Hope and whoever she could reach first.

"No. Not hybrids I don't think. When we faced off with the Cullen's and their witnesses, Renesmee still had a heart beat, slower than a normal human but there none the less"

Their faces twisted in a mix of confusion and perplexed annoyance. In all their combined years, they had never met two humans as strange as these two, their gifts developed further than most vampires could manage and seemingly frozen in time. Jane scoffed as she turned away from Mercy.

"It doesn't matter. They all change the same once bitten... If the masters deem them worthy that is"

"Worthy... of what?"

The four froze in place as a low groan followed those words, voice groggy from her forced sleep. Mercy tried to look upon the faces of their captors, failing as darkness shrouded her eyes and she quickly realised that she was blindfolded. With a snarl, she attempted to move her hands, to rip the offending item away, only to be rattled further when she realised that they were also incapacitated.

"Are you kidding me?!"

She glared beneath her blindfold, hoping that it would be aimed towards at least one of them. They really had done their research it seemed.

"We thought it best to cancel out any remaining threat"

The voice she could hear seemed masculine, mature as the face of one of her attackers came to mind. The one she knew to be called Jane had referred to him as Felix. She sighed, leaning her head back against the seat.

"Look, let's face facts here. You caught us, the chances that I could use my ability before any of you noticed are minimal. And, even if I could then succeed at doing that, I'm at a total of zero percent chance of taking out more than one of you before you took me out again. So just take the damned blindfold off... Please?"

"That is not a chance we are willing to take at this moment in time"

The voice was filled with mistrust. Mercy could only smirk, turning her head slightly too where the voice had originated, they were smarter than she would have liked. With death a very minor issue for her, she would have taken her chance at wiping out at least one of them. Preferably Felix, in payback for hurting Hope.

"Fine. Then just answer me two things: Where is my sister and what the hell are you guys?"

"Your sister is unconscious in the seat beside you, also restrained for safety, she will most likely wake soon. And, to answer your second question, we are vampires, along with the coven we are members of and the masters to whom we serve"

They had expected a scream, language that would have made a sailor blush and thrashing to escape the monsters that surrounded her but Mercy only smiled, twisted and full of mirth before finally breaking into laughter. What was wrong with this woman?

"You think she's going to wake up any time soon? Seriously, she consumed enough cocaine in one night to kill four men twice her size. At best, you'll be waiting a few days. And when she does, I can't wait to see the face she pulls when she learns what you guys are. She thought we were the only monsters in this world. I'd make sure she's still restrained if I were you as well, she'll probably try to swing for you again"

"We are the monsters of our world and you are the monsters of your own. There is a difference. And what do you mean she'll wake up in 'a few days'? The masters will not be pleased if they are further delayed in their objective"

rolled her eyes at the feminine voice, shrugging the shoulders as she turned her face upwards once more. Like she cared if their 'masters' were inconvenienced.

"Don't shoot the messenger. She does it to stop the voices of her clones in her head, we call it a coca-coma and, if it keeps her from going completely insane, I'm not going to stop her"

Mercy gave a sad smile as, once again, she focused her blinded eyes towards the ceiling, the words she spoke meant more for herself than the four vampires sat around her.

"And that's nice... Now even true spawns of the devil are calling us monsters... some things really don't change over time after all"

With that said, Mercy retreated into the sanctuary of her own mind, the rest of the journey passing in silence as she drifted away into her memories. Memories that she wished would just go away.

* * *

 **Hey everyone,**

 **So I hope that you're enjoying the story so far, the next chapter will hopefully be up pretty soon, there'll be a minor time skip and we'll see the girls finally come up against the three kings of the Volturi. Let me know what you all think so far, I appreciate any opinions and constructive criticism as it helps me to improve my writing :)**

 **Thanks,**

 **Thecrimsondagger**


	6. Chapter 6

Sometimes, when the weight of their lives begins to bare down upon her, she finds herself wishing she could just turn back time and start all over again. To tell those scared little girls that everything would be ok if only they didn't make the decisions they had, to not lose the faith that they had once clung so desperately too.

If she could, Mercy would change it all at the drop of a hat if it meant that she wouldn't have to watch her sister slowly destroy herself, if it meant that they could erase all the terrible things they had done in the past. If it just meant they could be happy for once in their long, miserable lives.

But those were just dreams she thought as she watched Hope sleep in the bed opposite her own, breathing uneven as she sometimes struggled for oxygen. It wasn't a concern, but it still pained her to see the other in such discomfort. Hope's lungs had never been the same after her illness, damaged from Mercy's first major attempt at using her gift to remove the tumour and irreparable unless she reversed Hope's immortal state and made quick work of the repair.

She groaned, swiping a hand across her face before forcing the guilt from her mind. She had saved her sister and that was all that mattered in the end. She took a moment to truly observe her surroundings for the first time since their arrival. The room was beyond lavish, decorated in lush shades of cream and gold, the furniture clearly antique mahogany and of the finest quality she thought as she took a step across the carpet, bare feet feeling caressed by the plush material as she curled her toes further into hit and felt a little sigh of delight pass her lips.

Neither she nor Hope had ever been much for luxurious possessions, both agreeing upon a modest life style to mask the fortune that their business dealings had created over the years. But that clearly wasn't a tactic that their current 'hosts' enforced, seeming to prefer to surround themselves in the finest things their money could buy.

"What... day is it?"

Hope's groggy voice broke Mercy from her thoughts, turning to watch as the blond attempted to lift herself from the bed only to fall back once more, roaring in indignation and beginning to thrash violently as she realised that her wrist were bound tight to the headboard. Mercy sighed, simply watching and waiting for her sister to tire herself out as she spoke.

"It's Tuesday. You've been out cold for a total of four days... I'd stop thrashing if I were you, that bed is probably older than you and me combined"

"Like I give a rat's fuzzy ass! When I get my hands on those bastards, I'll rip their heads off!"

Mercy smirked, continuing to watch as Hope attempted to bend herself double, seemingly trying to plant her feet against the headboard to add support to her attempt to break the bindings. It didn't appear to be working as, every time, she simply fell on to her side and tangled herself further.

"As much as I think that would do the trick in killing one of our delightful hosts, I doubt that you could do it yourself, or with the help of your clones. Vampires are notoriously difficult to catch and kill"

Hope froze, foot mid air, as she stared at her sister with wide eyes. Mercy simply nodded, answering the silent question that hung in the air as Hope seemed to calm down, her foot falling back to the bed and allowed her own mind to process the information.

"I guess that explains a few things. No one has ever been able to stand up against more than one of my clones at a time, and I doubt any human could move as fast as they did"

"No. But this poses a large threat for us. They seem to have no intention of letting us leave and I doubt that we could take on all of them even with your gift and mine combined. I get the feeling that there's a lot more of them than what we saw the other night"

Hope groaned, letting her head fall back with a heavy thud against the headboard. Things really did seem to be getting worse with each passing moment. Closing her eyes, she allowed a single clone to separate from her being, the feeling of her bindings falling loose before cancelling the clone and standing carefully from the bed, stumbling slightly from her lack of movement over the past four days.

"Why didn't you just summon a clone in the first place?"

"Because common sense doesn't enter my mind when I'm pissed off and also, I wanted to try and trash that damned headboard by myself if I could"

Typical Hope. Let emotions take the lead over logic every time. Their conversation was cut short, both women turning their heads to the door as it opened with a small creak, revealing the two younger looking vampires that had captured them. Mercy remembered the blond haired girl to be named Jane but fell short as she realised that she didn't know the name of the other, a young boy with dark hair.

"We heard your awakening. It is time for you to be brought before the masters"

"Nope"

Hope was back on the bed and hanging onto the headboard for dear life, but Mercy could see the glint of mayhem in her eyes. What the hell was she playing at? Jane scowled as she took a menacing step towards the bed, words dripping with venom.

"It is not a choice, human. You shall not keep out masters waiting longer"

Hope simply began humming to herself, bringing her feet up so that she was hanging from the furniture, swinging side to side slightly. The younger boy simply smirked, moving to stand beside Jane once more.

"Sister, I don't believe the mortal is listening to you... Shall I remedy this?"

Mercy simply slapped a hand against her forehead as Hope merely flipped the bird towards the two vampires. They weren't going to last the night at this rate. Or Hope wasn't at least. Maybe she'd be better simply going with the flow?

 ***The throne room***

An irritated snarl ripped through the stagnant air, causing Aro to roll his eyes as Caius dug his fingers into the arm of his throne, splintering the wood with the sheer amount of strength behind the act.

"Are you intent on destroying yet another Throne chair? This could possibly be the third in as many days"

Caius only snarled harsher at his brother's words. His patience was thin enough as it was without Aro making it worse.

"We have been waiting four days! Four days since those wretched little humans were brought here to quench the thirst of your curiosity and we have yet to see either of them!"

"Be calm brother, Jane explained did she not. The one named Hope was in a drug induced sleep"

Caius roared, his temper finally snapping as he stood from his throne, launching the beautifully carved piece of furniture towards the throne room door, words little more than a snarl towards his brother.

"You think I care for the human's state? If she were incapacitated then the other should have been brought forth alone! Leave the drug fuelled creature to her pathetic behaviour!"

"Good God! What a dick!"

Aro and Caius turned to the doors, Aro's face lit with overwhelming excitement whilst Caius seethed at the unknown female's voice, her words only making his already frayed temper spike once more as he searched for the source of the voice.

Jane and Alec were stood in the doorway, both looking vaguely irritated as two very unfamiliar bodies caught the attention of both Aro and Caius separately. A tall raven stood beside Jane, rolling her eyes at her sister as expletives poured freely from her lips, her pitch black hair falling to the centre of her back, a beautiful contrast to the deathly pale of her skin with mismatching eyes of crystal blue and enchanting green. She seemed like a goddess to Aro as he felt a part of his own being become settled at the sight of her. He had waited so long for this day.

Oppositely, a fair haired woman was dumped unceremoniously upon the floor from her position upon Alec's shoulder, a shouted curse showing her dissatisfaction at the gesture as she stood and turned to face the kings upon their platform, rubbing the sore section of her ass from her landing. Caius noticed the devilish gleam in her eyes above all else, saw the spark of challenge as he rose from his throne and took a single step forward. She was shorter than the raven by a good few inches, the same mismatching eyes but the opposite way around, the blue sitting to the left and the green to the right. An annoyed scowl painted her pretty cupid's bow lips as her gaze seemed fixed on him. Was this what it was meant to feel like? Finding what his kind knew as a soul mate?

"What are you staring at Barbie? I'll have my clones rip that pretty head of yours clean off!"

Unfortunately, humans seemed much denser to the connection of soul mates than vampires were. Caius was about to reprimand her, his feet beginning to move of their own accord as Aro placed an arm across his chest and stopped his actions.

"Control yourself, brother mine… I know how you feel but for another"

Caius snarled, unhappy to be kept back from the woman as Aro took a few steps forward, a smile upon his lips that spelt unequalled delight, his bloody red eyes never leaving the face of Mercy as she sent a blank stare back towards him.

"Ladies, I trust that you have been alright since your arrival? No issues of mistreatment to report?"

Mercy scoffed, finally letting her indifferent mask drop as she finally settled for an expression of sheer disgruntled annoyance.

"You're asking if we're alright? The monkeys to your organ grinder attack us in the streets, destroy a number of my sister's clones and then knock myself out when she has fallen unconscious before bringing us to someplace we have no clue of, and you're asking if we're ALRIGHT?!"

"You must forgive the actions our guard took my dear, but yourself and your sister are notorious throughout the past century for your strange abilities and talent for vanishing. We could take no risks with either of you"

This time it was Hope who snarled as she found herself stomping over to Aro, not seeming to care as a number of the vampire guard hissed in warning.

"Forgiveness my arse! Just tell us what the fuck you want and let us get home. I have a drug syndicate to manage and Mercy has smuggling to control"

"Quite the lucrative little criminal you both are. But neither of you shall be leaving"

Hope snapped her gaze to the side, a twitch in her right eye as she squared up to Caius, failing to notice the lower ranking soldier that was sneaking up behind her. Mercy simply rolled her eyes, knowing instinctively what was about to happen.

"Oh, we'll be leaving, there's no way in hell we're staying in a castle full of walking talking corpses. We had enough of that as children, thank you kindly!"

The next moments unfolded quickly as Hope felt hands wrap around her throat, twisting and snapping the vertebrae of her upper spinal column, heard the sound of Caius roaring in anger as Mercy attempted to run towards her sister, only to be gripped also and have teeth sunk into her throat as Aro lunged for the opportunistic vampire.

The sisters lay upon the cold marble of the throne room, all eyes on the scene that unfolded before the gathering as the renegade vampire shouted something about not wishing for anyone to speak so poorly to his kings before both Aro and Caius tore his limbs clean from his body in their rage.

Mercy's laughter was the first to break the hostile atmosphere, all eyes finally fixing back upon both she and Hope as the fair haired sister forced her body into a sitting position, her head in an unnatural position with the column of her spine protruding through the skin where it had been snapped as her hands gripped the side of her skull and snapped it back into its correct position, the sound of her bones fixing back into place and restoring to their previous position.

The sight was horrifying as she stood first, turning to face Mercy as she lay upon the floor, body writhing as she bit back screams of agony, the bite wounds in her throat bleeding heavily for a moment as a second fluid began to ooze out, glistening and clear as it melded with her spilt blood until nothing was left to give and the wound began to stitch back together, leaving perfect unmarred skin in its wake.

"Just like we can't kill you that easily, you can't kill us that easily either… Mercy has frozen us in time, her ability meaning that our bones will never stay broken, disease will never trouble us and we shall always remain in the state that we were when she granted us immortality. Your venom can't alter us either; her gift will only push out whatever seeks to harm us"

Hope helped her sister to her feet, taking a moment to inspect that the wound had definitely healed as Aro clapped his hands in joy and a maddened gleam came to his eyes once more.

"Magnificent! Her abilities have truly moved forward since we first started monitoring you both, it makes me question whether the gift will make any true difference in magnifying them. But the question now is, how far can your own gift go Miss Hope Sinclair?"

The two sisters took a moment to register the vampire before them. What had just occurred should have horrified him, not excited him! Hope moved slightly closer to Mercy, whispering in her ear

"I'd wager that we've entered some form of twisted reality here Mercy, and laughing boy here is the supreme leader"

"I can here you, I guarantee that a vampire's hearing is not something to be trifled with"

"Aw crap!"

Hope hung her head in annoyance

"Just show him Hope, it's not like we have any reason not too"

With a sigh, Hope nodded and felt the multitude of rips within her soul as, one by one, each of her clones came into view, filling the throne room beyond comfort as Caius gave a shriek of surprise.

"For the love of god woman, how many clones do you have!"

"At my last count, somewhere near the two hundred mark. If you look out into the corridor, you'll see they're flooding out their too"

As if to confirm what she had said, Felix forced his way through the mass of clones and pulled the door open only to reveal yet more of the blonde doppelgangers, all seeming to argue amongst themselves as Hope simply raised her hand and clicked her finger, causing them all to vanish once more.

"The last thing any of you want is for them to start brawling. It gets messy really quickly"

Aro couldn't contain his delight as laughter ripped from him and both girls sent incredulous glances his way.

"Delightful! Simply wonderful. It is decided, you shall remain here and bring your skills to the coven!"

Hope and Mercy simply stared at him as they muttered to each other, neither failing to see the gleam in both vampire's eyes as Caius gazed at Hope and Aro looked longingly at Mercy.

"Laughing boy is definitely serving the tea for this mad hatter's tea party"

"He's definitely a fruit cake if he thinks I'm cooperating with anyone here"


	7. Chapter 7

Mercy sighed as she sipped the tea before her, eyes trained completely on the two clones of her sister that sat in the seats opposite her, the sound of sheer mayhem echoing through from the corridor outside the room that she had stationed herself within.

"Mother really is causing hell this time"

The voice was like a demonic version of Hope's, filled with malice as it snickered and turned to its counterpart. Mercy would never understand why her sister had created these two, could only think that it had been whilst she had been under the effects of the cocaine.

"It would seem so… You'd think these vampires would have just acquired the drug for her after three days of all her clones running riot"

Mercy did her best not to look at the second clone, not wishing to see the rotting corpse that was this creation. It was this one that she understood the least. Hope had created it nearly eighty years ago and, at first, it had appeared like any other clone her sister created until it became apparent that it was aging. With each passing year, Hope watched the path her true body should have taken if not for the interference of Mercy through the deterioration of her creation, watched as she became a middle aged woman and felt a strange sense of peace when the clone seemed to fall into a state of slumber after only twenty years, appearing dead as Hope was given the knowledge that she would have lived to be no older than forty if not saved from the passage of time.

Mercy had understood for a short amount of time Hope's desire to see what would have happened, but she had lost such comprehension when the clone had then woken, eyes dead and lifeless, skin a frightening shade and lips tinged blue as it became apparent that this clone was not like the others. A reanimated corpse that had full control of its own self. It was horrifying and dangerous. And Mercy hated it.

"How long will these withdrawals carry on?"

The corpse seemed to be looking around the room with a sense of boredom, turning to its counterpart as if questioning why they still sat drinking tea with Mercy when they could have been out causing mayhem with their kin.

"I don't know… Hope has spent the best part of a century taking cocaine every night to silence the voices of all her clones only to have it ripped from her grasp by vampires that know rock all about how to handle what happens when she doesn't get it. The problem with the mother of all highs is that, eventually, you'll always get the father of all comedowns"

From the corridor outside crashing could be heard as the clones continued to bring havoc to the Volturi, both clones looking toward the door as they gathered intel through the link they shared with the others, the none corpse like one giving a sigh as she poured them each a fresh cup of tea.

"I wish there were human's in this wretched castle, or at least one's within hunting range. It's been far too long since I tasted flesh"

And there was the second problem. The two clones that Mercy hated most were a self-aware zombie and a cannibal with murderous tendencies. And it was a nightmare keeping them under control.

Mercy felt a sigh escape her lips as the door to the sanctuary she had created was thrown open, two bodies bursting through and slamming it behind them as she met two pairs of ruby eyes, the first looking manic as his own eyes locked upon the two clones opposite her, a snarl ripping from his throat as he sent a deathly glare towards Mercy.

"All hell is breaking loose throughout the castle, your sister's clones are ripping the building apart, the woman in question is currently lay within her own room, writhing in agony, screaming for drugs I have no clue how to obtain with sweat dripping from her skin… And you are sitting here sipping tea with her creations!"

Mercy simply chose to look at Caius, registering the sheer panic within the male vampire, how his eyes dilated, how he seemed to care little for the fact that he looked like a bus had just hit him in favour of worrying for a woman he barely knew, before finally giving a sigh of annoyance and speaking, pretending to not notice how Aro seemed torn between his fascination with her or the two clones that sat with her.

"What you don't realise, Caius, is that I am actually doing you a great favour"

"A favour! You are doing nothing!"

"My dear… Would you care to explain these two for me?"

Mercy smirked. Aro had caught on it seemed.

"I call them Zeena and Canna. They are two of Hope's most horrifying creations"

"I resent that remark"

Glaring at Canna, Mercy continued with her explanation, occasionally sending a scolding glance towards the two whenever they tried to leave the table.

"Zeena, as you can see, is pretty much what modern society would call a zombie. She is a representation of what my sister would look like if she had been allowed to age and die like a normal human. However, unlike the modern concept of Zombies, Zeena is able to function and communicate completely on her own, her intellect is off the charts, and, unlike the other clones, she cannot be destroyed. A gift my sister added when she created her almost eighty years ago.

Canna, on the other hand, is my sister's right hand creation. She would normally be the one to take care of Hope's business whenever Hope was either too wasted from the drugs or suffering from withdrawal. This is because Canna is a carbon copy of Hope in every sense of the word. Most of the clones have thoughts and opinions of their own, Hope likes to give them free will, but Canna thinks and acts exactly like my sister. There's only one thing that Hope made different about Canna."

Mercy felt her stomach churn at the last memory of Canna that she had. Even after all the messed up things she'd done in her life, nothing could have prepared her for seeing Canna chewing happily on the arm of one of Hope's rival drug lords.

"What is this difference?"

"Canna is also a method of disposal, a cannibal… She eats the corpses left behind by myself and my sister. Team her with Zeena and you have a perfect team for strategy and clean up when Hope is otherwise occupied"

There was silence for a moment as the two vampires seemed to process the information before Aro took the opportunity to speak, amazed beyond words with the discovery and slightly disturbed by the questionable mental state of the fair haired drug addict.

"So… The reason you are sat here is to keep them from causing trouble?"

"Yes. Zeena and Canna are my sisters most dangerous creations. You don't want them running around the corridors"

Caius felt his stomach flip as he gathered his courage once more and chose to simply leave the room, his mind weighed down with information and the knowledge that there were still multiple copies of Hope running rampant. He just wanted to go and sit with the clearly deranged woman, try to ease her pain as she passed through her withdrawal symptoms.

Mercy watched as he left before turning to Aro, who had now taken a seat beside her, clearly intent on learning more about Zeena and Canna from the clones themselves.

"If your brother has a thing for my sister, like I get the feeling he does, then he's in for a seriously messy ride. She's at least seven over-flowing buckets of fucked up"

Aro didn't respond, only nodded his head as he thought upon his own situation with Mercy. He had a feeling that Hope wasn't the only one that had a fair few screws loose. But how were he and Cauis meant to connect with women who clearly felt nothing pure within their tainted hearts?


	8. Chapter 8

She could feel the screams ripping from her throat, could feel the tears streaming from her eyes as her entire body ached as she continued to writhe from the pain she was in. But, for all the noise she made, no sound reached her ears over the voices resounding around her skull, all varying forms of her own voice.

"Shut up! Shut up all of you, just let me sleep!"

No joy as the voices of her clones continued to destroy what little of her sanity she had left. She needed her fix, needed the sweet silence that the cocaine could bring to her thoughts. Why was she being tortured like this? She had done no evil to these vampires.

Forcing herself up from the bed, she clutched her head, slamming it repeatedly into the headboard in a desperate attempt to knock herself unconscious.

"Stop it Hope!"

A strong hand took hold of her arms as she was forced to a stop and her eyes flew open in a crazed glare, meeting the horrified eyes of Caius. What did her want? She bared her teeth, too far gone into insanity to try and think rationally. The voices were beginning to grow more erratic, more frenzied as each clone sensed the madness of their creator, each wanting to exact revenge upon those that kept their 'mother' prisoner.

"Let me go, you fucking ass-hat! I'll have my clones kill you all! I'll rip your fucking head off myself!"

Caius gritted his teeth against the venomous words, not knowing the first thing about how to handle a woman so clearly drowning in pain and madness, a woman with more issues than any psychologist could handle.

"Let her go Caius… I'll handle this"

His head snapped round as Mercy stood in the doorway, Canna and Zeena both stood behind her as they looked upon Hope with anger in their eyes. Neither wanted to see their creator in this state. Caius let go of Hope's wrists, baring his fangs to her sister as he took a step back and watched mercy move forward, hating that the raven haired sister cared little for his silent threat. Why could he not help the woman fate had chosen for him?

"Hope, can you hear me?"

"Mercy make it stop, I can't do it anymore, just kill me. If there's a god that still cares, please, just let me die"

Mercy clenched her fist, teeth grinding together as she fought against the anger she felt building at her sister's words.

"You're a selfish bitch, you say that every time and then say you didn't mean it when you get your fix. What will killing you ever achieve? If you're hoping that you'll see mother again then you're wrong. Where ever she is now, we'll never go there. The lowest layer of hell is where we are destined for and nothing will change that. And what would I do without you? You are all I've ever had"

Her words were shouted, dripping with over a hundred years' worth of anger and misery, and for a moment, Hope became silent as Caius believed that maybe the harsh treatment had been what was needed to help the fair-haired sister. His optimism was dashed to the rocks however as Hope began to laugh uncontrollably, the very picture of insanity as she lunged at her sister and gripped her by the collar of her shirt, shaking her slightly as she began yelling back.

"I didn't choose to be immortal, I didn't ask you to do this to me! I was happy to die, I was ready to accept hell as my fate when you found the tumour on my lungs. It was you who waited till I was asleep and then made that botched attempt at removing it with your ability. It was you who failed and damaged my lungs so badly that I'd have died on the spot if you hadn't then halted me on a cellular level. If anyone is being selfish here then it's you for not letting me die in peace!"

Caius watched on in panic as the two seemed ready to beat each other senseless. Was this what Mercy meant by letting her handle things. But then the tension seemed to break as Hope simply began to cry, her head falling to her sister's shoulder as the other simply hugged her and fought against her own tears.

"I just want to rest Merc, I can't take these voices anymore, I just want to go back to when we had mama and everything seemed alright… I just want to go home"

"I know you do… So do I, but we can't and this is what we are now"

Hope only seemed to cry harder at those words, refusing to let Mercy go as Caius continued to feel helpless. Was there nothing he could do to ease her pain?

After what seemed like an eternity for both sisters, Hope seemed to give in to her own exhaustion, her sobs giving way to ragged breathing as the racket from the corridor also seemed to fade away, confirming to Mercy that Hope had fallen to sleep and her clones had vanished with her consciousness. Detaching herself from the sleeping doppelganger, she turned back to Caius with a serious expression, speaking low so as not to wake the other.

"Hope has a lot of pent up rage. When she gets like this, she just needs coaxing to let it out. Give her time to get over the only thing that's helped her over these long years and then maybe you'll be able to get close to her"

She was about to walk away, desperate for somewhere quiet and private to let out her own frustrations, but Caius' voice stopped her as he spoke to her back, annoyed that Mercy refused to turn to face him.

"What happened to you both? What caused you to become the people you are now?"

"Some questions are better left unanswered, and some memories are best left buried"


End file.
